diff --git a/src/ckpool.c b/src/ckpool.c
index 5a15b590..bef14365 100644
--- a/src/ckpool.c
+++ b/src/ckpool.c
@@ -810,6 +810,7 @@ static void launch_process(proc_instance_t *pi)
 		struct sigaction handler;
 		int ret;
 
+		json_set_alloc_funcs(json_ckalloc, free);
 		launch_logger(pi);
 		handler.sa_handler = &childsighandler;
 		handler.sa_flags = 0;
@@ -1260,6 +1261,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	/* Make significant floating point errors fatal to avoid subtle bugs being missed */
 	feenableexcept(FE_DIVBYZERO | FE_INVALID | FE_OVERFLOW );
+	json_set_alloc_funcs(json_ckalloc, free);
 
 	global_ckp = &ckp;
 	memset(&ckp, 0, sizeof(ckp));
diff --git a/src/libckpool.c b/src/libckpool.c
index 5d6cbb98..5d992e2e 100644
--- a/src/libckpool.c
+++ b/src/libckpool.c
@@ -1203,9 +1203,13 @@ void align_len(size_t *len)
 		*len += 4 - (*len % 4);
 }
 
+/* Malloc failure should be fatal but keep backing off and retrying as the OS
+ * will kill us eventually if it can't recover. */
 void realloc_strcat(char **ptr, const char *s)
 {
 	size_t old, new, len;
+	int backoff = 1;
+	void *new_ptr;
 	char *ofs;
 
 	if (unlikely(!*s)) {
@@ -1223,9 +1227,16 @@ void realloc_strcat(char **ptr, const char *s)
 		old = strlen(*ptr);
 	len = old + new + 1;
 	align_len(&len);
-	*ptr = realloc(*ptr, len);
-	if (!*ptr)
-		quit(1, "Failed to realloc ptr of size %d in realloc_strcat", (int)len);
+	while (42) {
+		new_ptr = realloc(*ptr, len);
+		if (likely(new_ptr))
+			break;
+		if (backoff == 1)
+			fprintf(stderr, "Failed to realloc %d, retrying\n", (int)len);
+		cksleep_ms(backoff);
+		backoff <<= 1;
+	}
+	*ptr = new_ptr;
 	ofs = *ptr + old;
 	sprintf(ofs, "%s", s);
 }
@@ -1241,23 +1252,46 @@ void trail_slash(char **buf)
 
 void *_ckalloc(size_t len, const char *file, const char *func, const int line)
 {
+	int backoff = 1;
 	void *ptr;
 
 	align_len(&len);
-	ptr = malloc(len);
-	if (unlikely(!ptr))
-		quitfrom(1, file, func, line, "Failed to ckalloc!");
+	while (42) {
+		ptr = malloc(len);
+		if (likely(ptr))
+			break;
+		if (backoff == 1) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "Failed to ckalloc %d, retrying from %s %s:%d\n",
+				(int)len, file, func, line);
+		}
+		cksleep_ms(backoff);
+		backoff <<= 1;
+	}
 	return ptr;
 }
 
+void *json_ckalloc(size_t size)
+{
+	return _ckalloc(size, __FILE__, __func__, __LINE__);
+}
+
 void *_ckzalloc(size_t len, const char *file, const char *func, const int line)
 {
+	int backoff = 1;
 	void *ptr;
 
 	align_len(&len);
-	ptr = calloc(len, 1);
-	if (unlikely(!ptr))
-		quitfrom(1, file, func, line, "Failed to ckalloc!");
+	while (42) {
+		ptr = calloc(len, 1);
+		if (likely(ptr))
+			break;
+		if (backoff == 1) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "Failed to ckzalloc %d, retrying from %s %s:%d\n",
+				(int)len, file, func, line);
+		}
+		cksleep_ms(backoff);
+		backoff <<= 1;
+	}
 	return ptr;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libckpool.h b/src/libckpool.h
index ac865046..a52628fe 100644
--- a/src/libckpool.h
+++ b/src/libckpool.h
@@ -489,6 +489,7 @@ void align_len(size_t *len);
 void realloc_strcat(char **ptr, const char *s);
 void trail_slash(char **buf);
 void *_ckalloc(size_t len, const char *file, const char *func, const int line);
+void *json_ckalloc(size_t size);
 void *_ckzalloc(size_t len, const char *file, const char *func, const int line);
 void _dealloc(void **ptr);
 extern const int hex2bin_tbl[];